


Who I Have is What I Carry Home

by QuackTracks



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Cuddles, F/F, Fluff, its just fluff lol, soft cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 17:42:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14290023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuackTracks/pseuds/QuackTracks
Summary: Creatures vying for destruction paired with a team metaphorically incapable of holding a sword? Chaos. That was how Sara ended up with two cracked ribs, a concussion, and a body that felt like a punching bag.Or, “Sara is hurt on a mission and Ava takes care of her like the good girlfriend she is.”





	Who I Have is What I Carry Home

**Author's Note:**

> This was based off Leapyearbaby29‘s prompt: “ Sara and Ava naked cuddle. Big spoon Ava and little spoon Sara.“
> 
> Title is from Bon Iver’s 89.
> 
> SapphicQueen is the bomb.commmm
> 
> Surprise: this WAS edited.

Sara ached down to her bones, her muscles coiled into knots in her shoulders and down her spine. The anachronism the team had ended up facing off against had spiraled out of control as usual. It should’ve been an easy solve: lesson learned and back to the ship. But there was a certain dysfunction in the team with Amaya gone, and Sara felt it like a pick deep between her ribs. 

She’d felt it the moment Amaya walked left, the reminder that people leave and die and nobody is really safe or shielded from those things forever. But she’d lost so many people. Her team had too. Amaya was just another proverbial nail in the coffin.

It was like losing a critical component in their make-up: an opposable thumb. It didn’t help that the anachronisms now sometimes came with beasts from the pit Mallus escaped from. The creatures seemed drawn to rifts in time, making simple missions much harder than expected. 

Creatures vying for destruction paired with a team metaphorically incapable of holding a sword? Chaos. That was how Sara ended up with two cracked ribs, a concussion, and a body that felt like a punching bag. They’d faced off against three odd, slimy serpents with a penchant for swinging their bulbous tails into people’s torsos and heads. Mick had a dislocated shoulder and Zari broke her hand trying to block a blow aimed at Ray’s head.

All things considered, it had gone atrociously. All of this madness just happened to occur right after Zari was running experimental software with Gideon, and it had shut down elements of the AI’s functions. That left the team to deal with their wounds alone until Gideon could re-integrate and patch them up. 

 

Sara grimaced as she tried to pull of her suit without aggravating her wounds. Gideon had prescribed icing her ribs, and Sara would, but all she wanted to do right now was take a scorching bath and forget about everything for an hour. 

She had one arm out of its sleeve, taking quick, shallow breaths, when a portal opened in front of her. Joy and relief washed away a layer of the dark emotions she’d been focusing on since getting back, and she attempted to smile at her girlfriend. She was sure it came out more like a grimace.

“Hi, Aves.”

Ava had her Time Bureau mask on, her suit crisp and her expression hard. It softened as soon as she took in Sara’s appearance. The portal closed behind her, and a worried frown spread on Ava’s face as she approached.

“Hey, what happened?” Sara let out a quiet chuckle that turned quickly into a groan. Ava winced. “Ribs?”

Sara nodded and dropped her forehead against Ava’s lapel, her chest jumping excitedly despite her state. Things had been good on that front. They’d fallen into a groove of sorts, and Sara couldn’t be happier. 

“Mmhmm. I missed you.”

Ava was careful not to put any pressure on Sara’s left side, her hand slinging into Sara’s tangled hair and holding her against her by the back of her neck.

“I saw you last night.”

Sara shook her head tiredly.

“It’s been a week for us.”

Ava leaned back and looked at Sara with concern coloring her expression. 

“Bad mission?”

Sara shrugged.

“Just a few surprise visitors I foolishly let escape several months ago.”

Ava cupped Sara’s cheeks, speaking sternly. 

“It was the right call. There wasn’t another choice.” 

She brushed Sara’s hair out of her face as she studied her. Sara closed her eyes ame let Ava do her once-over. It was nice having somebody to take care of her; to look after her when she couldn’t. She’d only really had that once before, and with Nyssa things had always been so ‘life or death.’ Ava was sharp and gentle in a sensational blend, and Sara loved her desperately. 

Ava leaned in and kissed her forehead, her lips resting there despite the fact that it probably tasted like sweat and dirt. 

“Let’s get you out of this.”

Sara felt a little delirious, but she still tried to smirk. 

“Trying to get me out of my clothes so soon, baby?”

Ava flushed red at the name, something Sara had accidentally called her once. It had seemed to fluster her girlfriend so much that she never stopped saying it. Ava carefully began pulling on the leather and sliding it down Sara’s arms. Bruises littered her flesh, but nothing had broken the surface. 

Sara felt her arm slip free, and she let out a relieved breath as cool air tingled along her shoulder, down her elbow, and to her wrist. The coat dropped with a heavy thud, and Ava walked around Sara to undo the laces down the back of her armor. 

Sara let her body slump as soon as she was able to shed the tight skin. Ava’s hands gently slid from her lower back to her neck, bringing goosebumps up along her skin. Ava’s fingers formed around Sara’s shoulders, and her thumbs pressed into the muscle.

Sara gasped and bit back a curse, the deep ache intensified and began to release, starting the unwinding process. Ava worked at her shoulders for a few moments, her fingers strong and precise, before she relented and pressed a kiss to Sara’s shoulder. 

“Was this mission better on the other front?”

Sara closed her eyes and leaned back into Ava. She knew Ava meant on the team dynamic front, on the Amaya not being there front. She shook her head.

“Can we not talk about it?”

Ava tensed a behind her, her voice a little unsure- like it became if Ava felt at all insecure or nervous- when she answered.

“Yes, of course. I’m sorry— I didn’t.. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

Sara reached back and gripped Ava’s hand with her own.

“Hey, don’t apologize. I want to talk about it. Maybe just after I can feel something other than pain?”

Ava relaxed and Sara could feel her nodding even as her hands slid back down and reached around, carefully undoing her pants. 

“Understood.”

Ava knelt down behind her and tugged the leather down her thighs and calves. She held Sara’s hand to help her balance while she stepped out. Her underwear followed it, and Sara let out another sigh of relief to be finally rid of everything. She turned and pressed herself into Ava’s arms despite the twinge of pain she felt. 

Ava held her for a few moments, then opened a portal. Sara mumbled into her blazer. 

“What are you doing?”

Ava slowly turned Sara and began waking her toward the portal that showed Ava’s bedroom.

“My tub is quite large.”

Sara tucked herself into Ava’s side and kissed her shoulder.

“Because of your excessive amount of legs?”

Ava chuckled and sat Sara on the bed.

“You make it sound like I have more than two.”

Sara hummed playfully.

“Maybe you do?”

Ava laughed and tapped Sara’s nose.

“You’re cute.” She headed to the bathroom as the portal vanished behind them. “I’ll come get you when it’s ready, okay?”

Sara pouted pitifully, but Ava had already disappeared. The distinct sound of running water came next, and Sara closed her eyes and imagined being submerged in it. 

She loved Ava’s home. It was quaint and neat, the outside painted a steel blue and the accents a bright white. It was lived in, tidy, but lived in. And despite how much Sara loved the Waverider, there was no way to completely erase the way it felt sterile.

“Sweetheart?”

If ‘baby’ was Ava’s kryptonite, ‘sweetheart,’ said in such a soft tone with Ava’s slightly gravelly voice, was Sara’s. She opened her eyes to find Ava looking at her with the same concern from before. 

“I’m fine. Just tired.” 

Ava reached out her hands. 

“Let’s get you into the bath, yeah?”

Sara hissed as she stood, side pinching and head spinning. Ava’s eyes narrowed as Sara tried extraordinarily hard not to vomit. 

“What else did you hurt?”

Sara looked down guiltily.

“Slight concussion.”

Ava’s lips turned down, and she began to slide her fingers cautiously through Sara’s hair and along her skull. She reached the back, running over a large bump. 

“Did Gideon clear you?”

Sara nodded and breathed deeply, loving the scent that was so distinctly Ava.

“I’m okay. Promise.”

Ava nodded, expression indecipherable, and she led Sara into the bathroom with a hand at her back and a hand on her arm. The air was warm, the room dark. There were a couple candles spaced along the edge of a jacuzzi-like tub. 

Sara smiled. She’d once found a ruler in the bathroom, and when she’d asked Ava what it was for, her girlfriend had blushed so hard her entire face was red. Apparently, she enjoyed even spacing, and she’d measured perfect spaces between her candles.

Getting in was painstakingly slow and unpleasant, but Ava was so patient and so controlled, and Sara eventually found herself submerged to just under her chest in scalding water. Ava knelt down beside the tub, and it was only then that Sara noticed she’d taken off her blazer, leaving Ava in her button-up.

“Thank you for doing this.”

Ava smiled, her bright eyes flickering in the light of the candles.

“Every time, Sara.” Ava reached over to her counter and picked up a spherical object. Sara recognized it immediately, her heart fluttering at how cute her girlfriend was. Ava grinned and teased, “I know you like to be the one to add these. Something about the fizz?”

Sara took it and lowered her hand into the water, a tingling sensation beginning immediately as the bath bomb- lavender- started to react. A light-purple hue spread from Sara’s hand, and she smiled at Ava like she was everything. 

“I really love you.”

Ava’s cheeks tinted a dark red in the low light, and Sara’s smile widened. Ava brought Sara’s hand to her lips.

“I love you too. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Sara’s face immediately fell, and she aimed a pout at Ava. 

“You’re leaving?”

Ava hesitated. 

“I, well, I thought you didn’t want to talk right now?”

Sara dropped the slowly disintegrating ball and reached her wet hand out to grip Ava’s shirt. 

“About the mission or Amaya. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to talk at all.” Ava’s shoulders relaxed and she glanced down at her shirt. Sara tugged. “You could join me?”

Sara popped a button and Ava caught her hand. 

“You sure?”

Sara chuckled. 

“Are you asking if I’m sure I want my beautiful, sexy girlfriend to get in the tub with me? Are you positive you’re not the one with the concussion?”

Ava rolled her eyes and let go of Sara’s hand to properly unbutton her shirt. Sara loved Ava’s body, the hard-earned slopes and panes and the angle of her bones. She let her hand slip inside the gap of fabric as soon as there was space, and Ava took in a sharp breath. 

“Hey, not tonight, Sara” Sara lips turned down sadly and Ava chuckled. “Let me take care of you, okay? We have time when you’re not hurting for that.”

Sara blew out a breath, but she nodded. She didn’t mind really, though it didn’t mean she wouldn’t try again later. Maybe. She really did feel like shit.

Ava finished stripping down, Sara watching greedily the entire time. She continued looking until Ava carefully climbed in behind her and slid into the water. 

Sara’s eyes closed at the sensation of Ava’s breasts against her back and Ava’s thighs and hips bracketing hers, but she allowed arousal to slip by her in favor of taking the comfort offered. Ava’s arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled Sara against her, letting her head rest on her shoulder. 

“You comfortable?”

Sara bit back a witty response and hummed. 

“Perfect, thank you.” She let the water soak into her skin and warm her wholly, her arm on her injured side resting in the water. Her right hand linked with Ava’s.

“Did Bartholomew do anything funny since you last told me stories?”

Ava kissed the side of her head with a smile. 

“He chewed up your phone charger. Again.”

Sara groaned.

“I said funny, not devastating. You must have misheard.”

Ava chuckled and her free hand began pouring water over Sara’s hair, taking care to keep it out of her face. 

“Mm, my apologies. The other day he attempted to leap from the counter to the table, not accounting for the slick surface or his propulsion.”

Ava sounded so disappointed by the cat’s inability to think things through that Sara laughed. It was worth the pain. 

“What a fool.”

Ava huffed.

“I know. He slid right into a chair and knocked it over.”

Sara closed her eyes as Ava continued to wash out her hair. 

“How could he?”

Ava poked at her shoulder.

“Don’t make fun of me, jerk. I was very annoyed.”

Sara rolled her eyes and turned her head enough to kiss Ava’s jaw.

“Whatever. You definitely took a picture and put it in the scrapbook.”

“I don’t have a scrapbook.”

Sara smiled.

“You have an album in your phone called “Bart’s a Bitch” and it’s all pictures of him or of the damage he’s done to your house.”

Ava kissed Sara’s cheek.

“That’s not a scrapbook. And you named it that.”

Sara squeezed Ava’s hand.

“Pshh, tomato, to-“

“Nobody says tomahto. That saying is dumb.”

Sara laughed again, but she couldn’t hold back the hiss near the end as her ribs protested. Ava started massaging soap onto her hair.

“Sorry.”

Sara just barely shook her head.

“Don’t apologize for making me feel good, Aves.”

They were silent the next few minutes as Ava thoroughly coated Sara’s locks and rinsed them out. She then pulled a cloth from the side of the tub and cleaned off Sara’s face and neck with a bit of soapy water.

“I got something for you a couple days ago.”

Sara hummed to show she was listening, but otherwise remained quiet. Ava’s voice was a bit uneven and her body tensed slightly as she continued. Sara squeezed her hand in encouragement. 

“Um, I had a key made. For my apartment. For you. If you want it, I mean.”

Sara wished she could turn around and face Ava, show her the smile that had taken over her face.

“Of course I want it, Aves.”

Ava relaxed under her and leaned down to kiss her shoulder. 

“Yeah?”

Sara nodded. 

“Of course, baby.” She paused, then smiled. “Although you know I can portal into your house anytime, right?”

Ava huffed and nipped at her shoulder. 

“It’s symbolic, jerk.”

Sara chuckled.

“I’m just saying, you’re probably going to show up and find me in your tub a lot. Or your bed.”

Ava smiled against her skin.

“Hopefully naked.”

Sara grinned and closed her eyes again.

“Always naked. Not even a question.” 

They fell quiet after that, Ava finishing washing Sara’s hair and body. She was feather-light around her left ribs, the touch almost non-existent. Still, Sara had tensed and tightened her grip on Ava until it was over. 

When she finished, Ava set the cloth on the edge and brushed Sara’s hair to one side. 

“You ready to get out? Or do you want to stay for a bit?”

“I’m ready to be in bed.”

Ava chuckled and carefully began adjusting herself so she could get out without bumping Sara. The moment she stood, Sara felt the loss of warmth and grumbled. Ava grabbed a towel and smirked.

“Alright, grumps. Come on. Let’s get you dried off and tucked away.”

Sara allowed Ava to maneuver her out of the tub and into a towel. When Ava moved to do the same, Sara caught her arm. 

“Hey, you can rinse off.”

Ava hesitated.

“I don’t have to. I don’t mind.”

Sara tucked herself into Ava’s arms and nuzzled her neck, the combination of damp skin and cool air and warm skin leaving her with a plethora of feelings.

“Yes you do. I know baths freak you out if you can’t wash off after them.”

Ava heard the teasing tone in her voice and huffed. 

“They don’t freak me out. It only makes me a little uncomfortable to bathe in dirt.”

Sara nodded and kissed Ava’s neck. 

“So have a quick shower and then come join me, yeah?”

“You sure?”

Sara started to pull back, and she shot Ava a smirk and tapped her hip. 

“Duh.”

~<€~<€~<€~<€

Sara had tucked herself into the covers and was halfway between sleep and consciousness. She’d brushed her teeth and then forgone clothes because trying to get them on without Ava had seemed like way too much of a hassle. She was extremely pleased when Ava chose to do the same, and she turned onto her good side so Ava could tuck in behind her. 

Ava leaned over and kissed her temple instead. 

“I’m going to get you an ice pack and Advil.”

Sara whined.

“But it’ll be so cold.”

Ava laughed and disappeared from the room, returning a couple minutes later with the ice pack, a glass of water, and the medicine. She’d wrapped the ice pack in a cloth, but Sara still tried to prevent the covers from being lifted like a child who refused to get up from school.

“Sara…”

Ava’s voice was a mix of exasperation and adoring, and Sara huffed out an exaggerated sigh before releasing her grip. Ava pulled the covers back and pressed the ice-pack carefully onto her ribs. Sara gasped and pressed her face into the pillow, her teeth clenching and her body overrun with goosebumps. 

The Advil and water were set on the side table for later use if Sara happened to wake up in the middle of the night. Finally, Ava moved to her side and climbed in beside her. She slotted herself behind Sara with practiced ease. 

Despite Sara’s adamance that she wasn’t to be classified as ‘little spoon,’ this was the position they usually ended up in. Ava’s arm slipped just under Sara’s and she placed it across Sara’s chest. 

“Look at you fitting so snugly.”

Sara growled playfully.

“If you’re insinuating what I think you’re insinuating, you can scootch.”

Ava shrugged and rolled away, leaving Sara with a “if you say so.”

Sara knew she was messing with her. She also knew Ava was stubborn enough to keep it up. While they would usually see who could out-stubborn the other, Sara was feeling needy. They both knew she’d cave first, so she saved them the trouble. 

“Nooo, okay, come back.”

She could feel the smug grin as Ava returned to her previous position. 

“It really only makes sense that you’re the little spoon. You know, because you’re little?”

Sara slapped her hand half-heartedly.

“You can’t be mean, I’m injured.”

Ava kissed her neck, lips soft against the sore skin under her head wound. 

“I’m sorry, little spoon. I must have just been remembering the time you moved all my important documents to the floor last month when I had a wound on my stomach and couldn’t bend over to get them.”

Sara rolled her eyes and sighed. 

“I don’t know why I put up with you. It was obviously so you’d stay in bed with me longer”

Ava made a noise of protest. 

“You hoped that I’d make you breakfast instead of going to work. You even said, ‘I like my bacon soft’ when I asked you to pick up my files.”

Sara snickered like she found herself hilarious.

“I told you I was dreaming! I did not ask my injured girlfriend to make me bacon consciously.”

“Same difference.”

Sara shook her head.

“Untrue. One implies that I’m a jerk.”

Ava nudged the back of Sara’s neck with her nose. 

“Aren’t you?”

Sara mumbled her agreement and feel silent.. She pressed back further into Ava’s hips and closed her eyes, letting Ava’s presence and warmth at her back drain the remaining stress from her body. But it wasn’t time to sleep. She waited a few moments before returning to Ava’s question from earlier. 

Ava hadn’t brought it up again, knowing Sara would talk when she felt like it. It was why they worked so well. 

“It’s hard. With Amaya gone. The team feels wrong.”

Ava pulled her arm around and started drawing against Sara’s bare back with her fingertips. She was giving Sara the space to talk until she couldn’t anymore. Sara continued.

“I know it’s not my fault. I know that Jax leaving and Martin dying, and Amaya going back home were not something I did. But I’m supposed to protect my family and keep it together.

“And I know that Mallus had to be stopped. I know letting him out was the only way. But I could have been smarter, I could have done something to stop all those other monsters from coming out. They’re hurting and killing people and it feels like it’s all on me.”

Sara didn’t cry often. She didn’t cry now. But her voice broke and her throat felt tight.

“How do I face my family and continue making decisions for them when I can’t even protect them? When I can’t do the one thing we’re supposed to do? I feel like a fraud and I hate it.”

Ava’s hand slowed and she placed her palm against Sara’s back, right behind her heart. 

“You are the best person for your team and the best person for the world. There’s nothing we can do when people need time, when they need to grow and change away from us. And Mallus could have destroyed the everything. You saved so many people. Nobody knew that Mallus wasn’t locked away alone. Nobody but Constantine maybe, and he sucks.”

Sara breathed out a laugh, her chest expanding with love for this woman she never wanted to live without. 

“He’s not that bad.”

Ava scoffed and placed kisses along Sara’s back and neck. 

“He’s the worst.”

Sara reached back and opened and closed her hand at Ava. Ava linked their fingers and allowed Sara to drag her arm back to her chest. 

“Thank you.”

Ava pressed as close as possible.

“You are magnificent, Sara Lance. Don’t ever think differently.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up if you have prompts for Avalance.


End file.
